


All My Reckless Dreams and My Restless Hours

by 4ce_in_sp4ce



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Eames is bad at feelings, Love Confessions, M/M, POV Eames (Inception), Pining Eames (Inception), hookups but not really, talking about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:21:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27236428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4ce_in_sp4ce/pseuds/4ce_in_sp4ce
Summary: What he and Arthur had was casual, nothing more. Eames knew that. But at some point it had stopped being just a hookup to him and started being something...more. And Eames didn't know what to do with that
Relationships: Arthur/Eames (Inception)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 94





	All My Reckless Dreams and My Restless Hours

**Author's Note:**

> last week of [arthureamesmonth](https://arthureamesmonth.tumblr.com/post/632911335638908928/this-weeks-theme-is-where-we-land-these-are)! this one is for the prompts "travel" and All My Love by George Ezra

“God I missed this.”

Eames opened his eyes and looked over. Arthur’s voice was slightly breathless and he looked wonderfully disheveled, his face still flushed and relaxed. Eames reached out, fingers brushing Arthur’s shoulder slightly, and Arthur opened his eyes, turning his head to look at him with a small smile. No matter how many times Eames saw that smile, it still managed to catch him off guard every time. It was so different from his normal one. Happier. More intimate. Almost shy even. “It’s been a minute, hasn’t it?”

Arthur hummed in agreement and moved in closer. Eames shifted to give him space as he curled up next to him, head resting on Eames’ chest and arm draped across his body. “Mm. Too long.”

Eames had been surprised at first at how physically affectionate Arthur was- he’d certainly never struck Eames as the type to enjoy cuddling, and it wasn’t exactly something he associated with hooking up- but he’d quickly come to expect it. It was nice, honestly. A glimpse at a side of Arthur Eames doubted he let many people see. Eames turned his head and stared out the broad windows at the skyline, running his hand absentmindedly through Arthur’s hair. He could see why Arthur had insisted on this hotel; the view was phenomenal, the glittering lights of Seoul spreading out to the horizon far below them. It would look beautiful in the morning, too, as the sun rose. It was something to look forward to; Eames knew his jet lag meant he'd almost certainly be awake for it. He'd only gotten in that morning and his body was still very much on Mumbai time, so an early morning was all but guaranteed. 

"How long is your job?"

"Not long. Probably only a week or two." 

Arthur shifted against him. "That's quite short."

"It's a simple one, and most of the ground work's already been laid by the rest of the team honestly. I'm just coming in for the finishing touches." Eames shrugged, careful not to move too much. Arthur seemed to have settled quite comfortably against him, and he hated being moved once he was settled. "How long'll you be staying in town?"

"Not sure yet. There are a couple of jobs I could take, but I don't have anything concrete set up yet."

Eames nodded, not looking away from the distant lights of the skyline. He'd hoped they might have more than a few days together, but he knew the odds of that were slim. Outside of working a job together they were rarely in the same place together for long. Working in extraction meant almost always being on the go, hopping from country to country, continent to continent, job to job. The excitement of being constantly moving, of seeing the world from first class seats and penthouse hotel rooms, had been one of the things that had drawn him into the field in the first place. A few nights together, if that, was generally the most they could manage, but it wasn't like that was a surprise. And besides, it wasn’t like they were actually seeing each other. A couple nights was more than enough for a hookup. It was perfectly fine.

Or at least it had been. Until he’d started to notice that he missed Arthur after they went their separate ways. He didn’t just miss the sex, either, though he did definitely miss that too. He missed Arthur’s company. Missed his dry humour and sarcastic comments. Missed waking up next to him. He’d started looking for excuses for them to cross paths, reasons for them to be in the same city for even just a night or two. He honestly hadn’t even been that interested in the job he was about to start and probably would’ve turned it down normally. It was in Seoul though, and he’d known Arthur was going to be finishing up a job there right around then. So he’d accepted it, interest be damned. 

He knew it was stupid of him to do. He was putting in far more effort than the occasional hookup was worth. But every time he told himself he’d stop, that he’d go back to treating what they had as casual because that’s what it was, he remembered what it felt like to have Arthur curled against him like this. How it felt to have Arthur smile at him as they laid in bed together. And then he found himself asking Arthur about his upcoming jobs as nonchalantly as he could manage, looking for an excuse for them to meet up even though he knew it would just hurt more when they parted ways again afterwards. It seemed to get harder each time, and Eames had no doubt it would be the same when they said their goodbyes again in a day or two. He focused on the distant, crisscrossing lines of the city streets outside, trying to ignore the creeping tendrils of sadness in his chest at the thought of it. 

“What’s on your mind?”

“Hm?” Eames glanced down, startled out of his thoughts.

“You’re weirdly quiet and tense.” Arthur was tracing abstract patterns gently over Eames’ skin. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, I’m just…just tired, that’s all.”

“Mm.” Arthur traced the outline of one of Eames’ tattoos lazily, the feeling of the slight calluses on his fingers against Eames’ skin sending a slight shiver down his spine. “For someone who lies for a living, you’re really terrible at it the rest of the time, you know that?”

“I _did_ have an almost 18 hour travel time to get here, you know,” Eames chuckled, trying to shift the topic. “I really _am_ tired.”

“I’m sure you are.” Arthur moved on to another tattoo, moving his fingers around the edges softly. “But it’s not what’s bothering you.”

Arthur’s voice was quiet but sure and Eames sighed, looking back out the window. There were very few people who could reliably and accurately read Eames, but Arthur was undeniably one of them. And he was right, of course. Not that it made Eames any more eager to have the conversation he knew was coming. The one he’d been intentionally avoiding for a while. “I’ve just been…thinking. About us.”

Arthur’s fingers paused and Eames felt him look up. “Oh?”

Eames kept his gaze fixed on the lights outside. “I mean, I’m certainly not usually one for labels or such, but I just…” He paused, trying to find the right words. “What is this? What are _we?_ ”

Arthur propped himself up on his elbow, looking Eames in the face. “What do you _want_ us to be?”

Eames frowned, still looking out the window. It was easier than looking at Arthur and seeing his expression, or at least what Eames imagined his expression could be. What he worried it could be. “I asked you first.”

“And I have an answer. But I want to hear yours first. I want to know what you want, uninfluenced by what I want.”

“I don’t…” Eames shrugged, still looking away. “This was supposed to be casual. Hooking up on jobs or between them. That's it. That's what people like us do. It's what our lives allow. I know that. And maybe…maybe that's all it is still." He shifted his gaze away from the window and stared at the sheets, still avoiding looking at Arthur. "But goodbyes are harder now, you know? They've been getting harder for a while. And that…that hasn’t happened before with other people. It’s different. _You’re_ different.” He finally looked up hesitantly. Arthur was watching him with a serious expression that looked so out of place with his messy hair and the flush that hadn’t quite left his cheeks. Eames reached out and brushed his hair back gently. “You’re different,” he muttered again, not sure how else to say it. Because he was. Arthur was different. Maybe not at first, not when they’d first started doing this a little over a year ago. It _had_ been casual then, nothing more. But not anymore. Not for a while. _What do you want us to be?_ He took a deep breath, resting his hand against the side of Arthur’s face. He needed to say this, to tell him. “I…I-I want this to be real, Arthur. I want us to be real, because I think I’m falling for you. No, I _know_ I am. And I get it if you don’t feel the same way, if this is still just a casual hookup for you, because that’s all it’s _supposed_ to be, but I…it’s not just that for me anymore. And if that _is_ all this still is for you then I can’t keep doing this. Because I look at you and…” He stared at Arthur, running his thumb across his cheek. “If I still dreamt, darling, it would be of you.”

Eames looked away as soon as the words were out of his mouth, not wanting to see Arthur's reaction. He _couldn't_ see his reaction. Arthur was silent for a moment and Eames bit his lip. Maybe this had been a bad idea. It _had_ been a bad idea. That was obvious. It was too much, too vulnerable. He shouldn't have said anything. Should’ve just let things lie. 

He was about to apologize and offer to leave when he felt Arthur's fingers on his face, tilting his chin to look at him. "You're a hopeless romantic." Arthur leaned in and kissed him lightly. "A bit of an idiot, but a hopelessly romantic one."

"Wait, you…" Eames pulled back slightly, needing to see Arthur's expression. "You're okay with this? With us?"

"I told you I already had an answer. I was just waiting for you to figure out yours." Arthur was smiling, watching him with a warm expression that made Eames' breath catch slightly in his throat. "This has been real for me for a while. And you know me. I don't do things halfway." Arthur kissed him again, slower and deeper than before, pulling back just enough to whisper against his lips. "All my love is yours, Eames. _I'm_ yours, if you'll have me."

Eames pulled him back in, leaning into the kiss. He'd kissed Arthur plenty of times, but not like this. He didn't think he'd ever kissed _anyone_ like this. Not this gently, this deeply, this sincerely. Not with so many unspoken promises. _I miss you when you're gone. I'm falling for you. I've already fallen for you._ Eames tried to communicate each promise with every kiss, Arthur returning them with equal affection. _No matter where you go, I'll be there if you want me. Wherever you are, I'm yours._ Even after they pulled apart to breathe Eames kept his eyes closed, resting his forehead against Arthur's. It took him a moment to find his voice, but when he finally did he let out a quiet, breathy laugh. "I really am a bit of an idiot, aren't I?"

"Just a little." Arthur kissed his cheek softly and moved closer, resting his head in the crook of Eames' neck. "But it's part of your charm." He slipped his hand into Eames’, intertwining their fingers. “You know, since I don’t have a job set up, I was thinking I might just stay in Seoul for a little. Maybe a week or two.”

Eames wrapped his other arm around Arthur’s shoulders. “I’d love that.” Arthur let out a small, contented hum as he nestled against Eames’ side. It was a familiar sound, one that Eames had heard more times than he could count by now. Now, though, he thought it might be the most wonderful sound he'd ever heard. He closed his eyes and settled back against the pillows, holding Arthur close. Eames could feel his jet lag starting to catch up to him and he knew he'd start to drift off soon, but even encroaching sleep couldn't dampen the warmth in his chest. "I'd love it more than anything."


End file.
